Suction dredging installation

ABSTRACT

Suction dredging installation is provided comprising a convey pipe for conveying a suspension of dredging spoil and water, said convey pipe being provided with at least one pump; A PURGATIVE SOURCE CONNECTED BY MEANS OF A PURGATIVE CONDUIT TO AT LEAST ONE MEASURING POINT; AT LEAST ONE PRESSURE SENSITIVE ELEMENT CONNECTED BY MEANS OF A TACTILE CONDUIT WITH SAID PURGATIVE CONDUIT. The suction dredging installation is characterized in that the tactile conduit is mounted for a considerable part of its length in the purgative conduit of said measuring point, resulting in a simplification of assembling the conduits, and a protection against damage and an insulation against excessive cooling of the tactile conduit.

United States Patent van der Veen 1 June 13, 1972 SUCTION DREDGINGINSTALLATION 3,469,598 9/ 1969 Wigley ..137/334 3,474,806 10/1969Coldren et al. ....137/334 X [72] Invent 322; JmPhaas' Nethe" 3,528,4499/1970 Witte et a1. 1 37/334 x 2,572,263 10/1951 Hofer ..103/11 [7 3]Assignee: N.V. Ingenieursbureau Voor Systemen En 2,889,779 1959 Hofer u0 l Octrooien Spanstaal, Rotterdam, Nether- 3,111,778 11/1963Fonnesbeclc ..37/58 lands Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott [22] Filed: Feb.16, 1971 J. Kali] [21 A 1.'No.: 115 816 1 pp 57 ABSTRACT RelatedApplication Data Suction dredging installation is provided comprising aconvey [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 817,719, April 21, 1969, pipe forconveying a suspension of dredging spoil and water, abandoned. saidconvey pipe being provided with at least one pump;

7 a purgative source connected by means of a purgative con- [5 2] 1.1.8.CI. ..137/334, 37/58 duit to at least one measuring point; [51] Int. Cl..Fl6k 49/00 at least one pressure sensitive element connected by means[58] Field of Search 137/334, 340; 37/58 of a tactile conduit with saidpurgative conduit.

The suction dredging installation is characterized in that the [56]References Cited tactile conduit is mounted for a considerable part ofits length UNITED STATES PATENTS in the purgative conduit of saidmeasuring point, resulting in a simplification of assembling theconduits, and a protection 2,572,263 10/1951 Hofer ..103/l1 againstdamage and an insulation against excessive coding f 2,889,779 6/1959Hofer 1 03/11 the tactile conduit 3,111,778 11/1963 F0nnesbeck......3'7/58 3,424,192 1/1969 Rayneri ..137/340 8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures3 HEA/TER PATENTEDJUM 13 m2 HEATER ATTORNEY SUCTION DREDGINGINSTALLATION This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 817,719,Apr. 21, 1969, now abandoned.

The invention relates to a suction dredging installation, comprising aconvey pipe for conveying a suspension of dredging spoil and water, saidconvey pipe being provided with at least one pump;

a purgative source connected by means of a purgative conduit to at leastone measuring point; and

at least one pressure sensitive element connected by means of a tactileconduit with said purgative conduit.

Such a known suction dredging installation is improved according to theinvention, in that the tactile conduit is mounted for a considerablepart of its length in the purgative conduit of said measuring point.With this suction dredging installation the number of conduits extendingbetween places which are usually far apart, is considerably reduced,while the assembling of these conduits is simplified. It is further animportant advantage that each tactile conduit, which can have a smallinner diameter concerning its function, is protected against damage by amore robust purgative conduit. A yet more important advantage is thefact that the tactile conduit, in which the purgative, for instancewater, is stagnant, is insulated against excessive cooling by theflowing purgative water surrounding the tactile conduit. In winter thedanger of freezing of the tactile conduit of the known suction dredginginstallation is considerable. On the contrary, with the suction dredginginstallation according to the invention the freezing of the tactileconduit can be prevented with certainty, for example by pumping outboardwater pumped up from the depth, with such a large velocity through thepurgative conduit, that the temperature of the purgative water remainsabove the freezing point over the complete length of the purgativeconduit.

The suction dredging installation according to the invention ispreferably characterized by a heating device for heating the purgativewater. I

The aforementioned and other features of the invention will beelucidated in the following description of a drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a scheme of a suction dredging installation according to theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is detail I] ofFIG. 1.

Of a suction dredging installation known by itself only a fraction of aconvey pipe 1 for conveying a suspension of dredging spoil and water isshown. This convey pipe 1 is provided with a dredging spoil pump asshown.

For measuring the pressure of the suspension of dredging spoil and waterflowing through the convey pipe 1 at the place of the measuring point 2a measuring device is provided, comprising a purgative pump 3, which isconnected to the measuring point 2 via a valve 4, which can be opened, aback pressure valve 5, a flow indicator 6, a T-piece 7, and via apurgative conduit 8. The purgative conduit 8 consists of two plasticflexible tubes 80 and 8b coupled to each other by means of a coupling 9.The measuring device comprises further a pressure pick up 10, which isconnected to the purgative conduit 8 via a tactile conduit 11.

According to the invention the tactile conduit 11 is mounted inside thepurgative conduit 8 over nearly its complete length. The tactile conduit11 ends at a small distance of the measuring point and is open at thisend 12, so that the tactile conduit 11 is connected to the purgativeconduit 8 near the measuring point 2. The pressure in the purgativeconduit 8 is equal to the pressure of the measuring point 2 at end 12and is independent of the pump pressure of the purgative pump 3, thelength and the shape of the purgative conduit 8 and independent of thetemperature of the purgative water.

The tactile conduit 11 extends without interruption through the T-piece7. For the sealing between the tactile conduit 11 and the T-piece 7 is aconical ring 13 maintained up the tactile conduit 11 is provided, whichring 13 is pressed with its outside against a conical seat of theT-piece 7 by means of a nut l4 and which ring 13 is compressed a littleradially, so that this ring 13 pinches at its inner side on the tactileconduit 11. In the same way a similar conical ring and a nut areprovided to effect sealing between part 8a of the purgative conduit 8and T-piece 7.

The tactile conduit 11 consists of two plastic flexible tubes 11a and11b, which are coupled to each other by means of the coupling 9.

The coupling 9 is performed in such way, that the purgative watersurrounds always the tactile water. The coupling 9 has two house halvescentered relatively to each other and connected to each other by meansof screws 31. In the tangent planes of these house halves l7 and 18 twoconcentric rooms 19 and 20 are sealed by means of O-rings 21 and 22.Theroom 19 is connected in the house half 17 to a central bore 24 viafour canals 23 divided over the periphery, in which bore 24 a reducer 25is screwed. The end of the flexible tube 8a is connected sealingly inthe reducer 25 by means of a conical ring 26 and a nut 27. The flexibletube 11a extends beyond the end of the flexible tube 8a through thereducer 25 and the central bore 24 into the room 20. The end of theflexible tube 11a is connected sealingly in a reducer 30 by means of aconical ring 28 and a nut 29. In the same way the flexible tubes 8b and11b are connected to the house half 18.

When the parts shown in FIG. 1 above the line 32 are mounted in a heatedspace, for example in a vessel, and the parts shown below the line 32are exposed to the outer temperature, the Water stagnant in the tactileconduit 11 will not freeze, because this water is constantly held abovethe freezing point by the surrounding purgative water of the purgativeconduit 8. With severe frost the purgative water supplied to thepurgative pump 3 is heated with the aid of a heating device shownschematically.

The back pressure valve 5 prevents: that with strong pressure shocksoccurring in the convey pipe 1 dredging spoil enters from the conveypipe 1 into the purgative conduit 8.

If it is desired with one and the same suction dredging installation tomeasure the pressure of a plurality of measuring points 2, as is usual,each of these measuring points 2 is connected to the purgative pump 3 bymeans of the parts 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, while then a tactile conduit 11connected to a pick up 10 is mounted in each purgative conduit 8.

Besides an extra purgative pump forming the purgative source, each otherwater pump, for example gland pump, provided on board of a suctiondredging installation or the normal water conduit can form the purgativesource.

It is to be remarked that the pressure picked up by the pressure pick up10 is equal to the difference of the pressure in the measuring point 2,which is positioned lower, and the height of the water column in thetactile conduit 11.

What is claimed is:

1. A suction dredging installation comprising, a convey pipe forconveying a suspension of dredging spoil and water, said convey pipebeing provided with at least one pump,

a purgative source of water connected by means of a purgative conduit toat least one measuring point associated with said convey pipe, and

at least one pressure sensitive element coupled by means of a tactileconduit with said purgative conduit,

wherein the tactile conduit is mounted for a considerable part of itslength within the purgative conduit of said measuring point.

2. The suction dredging installation according to claim 1, wherein aheating device is provided for heating purgative water.

3. The suction dredging installation according to claim 1, wherein thetactile conduit ends near to said measuring point inside the purgativeconduit.

4. The suction dredging installation according to claim 1, wherein aback pressure valve is provided in the purgative conduit.

5. In a fluid conducting installation comprising, a convey pipe forconveying a dispersion of one kind of material in 6. The fluidconducting installation according to claim 5, wherein a heating deviceis provided for heating the purgative fluid.

7. The fluid conducting installation according to claim 5, wherein thetactile conduit ends near to said measuring point inside the purgativeconduit.

8. The fluid conducting installation according to claim 5, wherein aback pressure valve is provided in the purgative conduit.

it l i i

1. A suction dredging installation comprising, a convey pipe forconveying a suspension of dredging spoil and water, said convey pipebeing provided with at least one pump, a purgative source of waterconnected by means of a purgative conduit to at least one measuringpoint associated with said convey pipe, and at least one pressuresensitive element coupled by means of a tactile conduit with saidpurgative conduit, wherein the tactile conduit is mounted for aconsiderable part of its length within the purgative conduit of saidmeasuring point.
 2. The suction dredging installation according to claim1, wherein a heating device is provided for heating purgative water. 3.The suction dredging installation according to claim 1, wherein thetactile conduit ends near to said measuring point inside the purgativeconduit.
 4. The suction dredging installation according to claim 1,wherein a back pressure valve is provided in the purgative conduit. 5.In a fluid conducting installation comprising, a convey pipe forconveying a dispersion of one kind of material in another, said conveypipe being provided with at least one pump, a source of purgative fluidconnected by means of a purgative conduit to at least one measuringpoint associated with said convey pipe, and at least one pressuresensitive element coupled by means of a tactile conduit with saidpurgative conduit, wherein the tactile conduit is mounted for aconsiderable part of its length within the purgative conduit of saidmeasuring point.
 6. The fluid conducting installation according to claim5, wherein a heating device is provided for heating the purgative fluid.7. The fluid conducting installation according to claim 5, wherein thetactile conduit ends near to said measuring point inside the purgativeconduit.
 8. The fluid conducting installation according to claim 5,wherein a back pressure valve is provided in the purgative conduit.